The Nature Conservancy protects lands worldwide. But in South Florida, the only protected space managed by TNC is Blowing Rocks Preserve in Jupiter Island.
I had been thinking of visiting this area for quite some time; I used January 1 (New Year's Day) as my motivation to get out there and finally "just do it"!
If you decide to visit Blowing Rocks Preserve (and I think you should!), please note that parking is very limited (even with the addition of a second parking lot on the west side of the road adjoining the education center. Typically, they discourage standing/waiting for cars to leave and security encourages cars to keep moving. There is NO street parking available.
As of January 1, 2022, the education center was closed, as well as the donation post when you enter the beach side (due to COVID restrictions).
I started from the west side parking lot next to the education center. [Also note that since the education center is closed, so are the restrooms; there are 2 portable bathrooms for use plus hand sanitizer stations, but no running water.] 

The highlight here is definitely on the beach side of the preserve. Cross South Beach Road (unless you are lucky enough to find parking on the beach side!), and take the short path to the beach. At this point, you can enter the beach, or continue north along another path. I continued north for a bit, and then walked along the beach to end up at the actual "Blowing Rocks"!

On the southern part of the preserve, the sandy beach changes to a landscape of rocky formations that reminded me a bit of Hawaii. According to The Nature Conservancy, this is the largest Anastasia limestone shoreline on the Atlantic coast!

​If you visit during high tide, you'll be able to see the water blowing up through the rock formations. I visited at lower tide, and was able to walk along the water line and explore some of the cave-like features of the rocks next to the ocean. I didn't get to see the water shooting up through the rocks, but it was still a cool experience.

If you plan to just walk the trails and explore the beach without swimming, you can easily spend an hour or two here. The beach is also good for swimming and snorkeling. But since it is a nature preserve, don't bring picnics, alcohol, or your pets. And you are asked not to collect any shells, plants, or rock. (I found a few nice seashells and then tossed them back into the water.)

Current park hours are 9am - 4:30pm 7 days a week (except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day). If you go on a holiday (like New Years Day), be prepared with patience in the parking lot. Around 4pm they will come over to the beach and let everyone know that the parking lot will close.

This was a great way to kick off 2022, and I look forward to doing some more local South Florida exploring this year!

Although Sunshine Travel is a travel agency dedicated primarily to cruise planning, I can't always be on a cruise or traveling somewhere "new and exciting". I've lived in Florida since I was 2 years old, thanks to New Jersey snow that my parents didn't want to deal with anymore. As pretty as snow Is (to look at), I'm happy to be a year-round flip-flop wearer, and be able to sink my toes in the sand whenever I want!

I plan to use this blog in 2022, along with my new Instagram, as a little digression from major vacation planning. 2020 turned the travel world upside down; 2021 was supposed to get better (and it did...a little bit). Now 2022 is starting out with uncertainty again. I decided to share some travel photos and experiences here, just for fun. Some are throwbacks to previous times; some will be current from local explorations. 

One of my resolutions (not just for the New Year, but for life) is to do the things I've been talking about for a long time. I don't necessarily mean big bucket-list items (one trip to New Zealand, thank you), but smaller things that are easy to accomplish but that I somehow never get around to.

Here's an example: in 2012, Sunshine Travel did a spotlight on a different part of Florida each month. One month, I picked Clearwater Beach. As a travel consultant, I've also planned numerous trips for clients to the Clearwater Beach area. It's a great destination here in Florida! But somehow, I never managed to squeeze it in for a personal visit.

In 2019, I finally decided that enough time had passed us by, and I took my kids to Clearwater Beach for a few days! We enjoyed not only Clearwater Beach, but Caladesi Island State Park, Honeymoon Island, Indian Rocks Beach, a sunset dolphin watching boat tour (with ice cream!), and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It didn't actually take a lot of effort, and it was more than worth it. A few months ago when Winter the Dolphin (from Clearwater Marine Aquarium) passed away, we were even more glad that we made that trip and had the chance to see Winter in real life!
​
The big bucket list trips may be on hold for a little while longer, but in the meantime, enjoy your local area (safely!) and do what you can now, instead of saving it for some other time (which often never manages to present itself).

Some people like to describe Club Med like "camp". This is probably pretty accurate, although you're not REQUIRED to take part in any of the activities. You could just lounge by the pool with a pina colada all day. But most people who I encountered during my visit to Club Med Sandpiper Bay were not lazing around.

The children's clubs have a busy roster of fun activities scheduled throughout the day...and the adults have not been forgotten!

Each Club Med is a little bit different. At Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, there is a clear focus on wellness and sports academies.

Unique to this Club Med property are the Tennis Academy, Golf Academy, Fitness Academy, and the Beach Volleyball Academy. Group lessons are included for those who are beginners or looking to improve their skills. For an additional fee, you can opt for private lessons or more intensive instruction. 

Currently, the Tennis Academy is directed by Gabe Jaramillo and Scott Del Mastro and their coaching staff. Gabe Jaramillo has trained many top tennis players in the world. Daily group lessons are included In your vacation, whether you are a beginner or you've been playing for years. You can also include the Tennis Boost Package (at an additional cost), that combines a personalized coaching program with spa therapies, healthy cuisine, and specialized fitness training and analysis.

The Golf Academy is currently under the direction of Don Law, a founder and director of one of the largest golf training programs in the country.  Group lessons (and full equipment) are included in your vacation package, for beginners up to more advanced players. Guests also have full access to the driving range, putting green, and practice facility. While you're visiting, you can also take advantage of the Active Boost Golf Training Package; if you can't make it, don't worry - there are also remote training options available! 

If you're looking to train for a triathlon, or just improve your fitness overall, then consider the Fitness Academy at Sandpiper Bay. Though several packages are at an extra cost for more intensive focus on fitness training, there are several programs offered at the resort that are included, and geared for all levels. Each day, you can try classes in Yoga, Cardio Fusion, Water Aerobics, Zumba, Pilates, and more. 

This is actually the first and only Beach Volleyball Academy in the world at this time. Like the other sports, there are group lessons offered that are included in your vacation package. But if you're looking to take your sport to the next level, a Beach Volleyball Boost Package is available.

With all of the enticements from the Academies, I'll admit that I didn't get a chance to try any of them. I think if I stayed for a whole week I would have had more time to branch out and try new things. On a day to day basis, I don't play tennis or golf or volleyball, and I don't have any current plans to participate in a triathlon.

However, my family and I did try to partake in some of the other sports offered around the resort!

I noticed that the basketball courts were often being enjoyed, but anyone who wanted to play could join in. There were also daily pick-up soccer games, including one for kids (every day at 5pm!) After a while, I noticed some kids on the field who seemed to be there all the time! I guess that was just their favorite thing to do!

This is a popular activity found at several of the Club Med resorts. I gave it a shot, and it was fun. Again, if I had more time at the resort, I think I would have been able to definitely learn some new skills! The staff at the trapeze was great at making you feel comfortable and confident! 

Circus school and Trapeze were also highlights for my kids. Children as young as 4 years old are allowed to participate (though an adults-only session is scheduled each day so the grownups can have their own play time!). For kids, there is also a smaller version that they try before going up on the big trapeze.

Though the resort is not located on a typical white-sand beach, it is situated on the St. Lucie River. So the resort's small beach is used as a base for setting out on sailboats and paddle boards, and some people do swim there. Instruction is given for sailing twice a day; once you've taken a lesson, you're free to take a boat out as often as you'd like. Kids as young as 6 can be passengers on a sailboat, but you need to be at least 11 to learn to sail.

Stand-up paddle boarding seems to be a new popular sport these days, and I finally had the chance to give it a try. I thought it was easier than it looks (I was brave enough to try it upside down too!).  My 13 year old daughter really picked up on this and loved it. She doesn't really like typical sports, so I was glad she found a new activity that she enjoyed. That's part of the beauty of a place like Club Med - there is a huge variety of things to try, that maybe you wouldn't do in your day-to-day life, and it could turn out to be a personal favorite. You needed to be at least 11 years old for paddle boarding; but for kids under that age, but over age 6, they can be a "passenger" on an adult's board.

On my last day, I noticed an informal sign-up for a sunrise paddle board tour the next morning. It was a 2 hour tour, and included in your vacation package. Too bad we had to leave. I thought about Izzy and the folks at the beach the next morning when I was driving the kids to school!

There were 3 pools at Club Med Sandpiper Bay: the main pool, where water aerobics and games were held each day; the heated lap pool for swim training (and water polo?); and the children's pool, which was a shallow pool with spray features and a small climbing structure.

I saw plenty of people having fun with ping pong! The bocce ball court was not used as much, but my guess is that most people probably don't know how to play bocce!

Club Med Sandpiper Bay is part of a large group of French-owned resorts - over 70 properties around the world! Though Club Med may not be a household name in the U.S., it is well known in Europe. And as a result, a lot of Europeans visit the property. During our stay, we heard other people speaking in French, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, and more. At evening shows, the chef de village (i.e. Village Chief, sort of like your 'cruise director') would make announcements in both English and French. As American English-speakers, we never felt out of place or had problems communicating with people. The children's clubs were very accommodating to children who spoke other languages too; I noticed at least one family of children who only spoke French, and the counselors spoke to them in French and made sure they were included. 

The rooms are spacious, and clean. But they are not "fancy". On the outside, the buildings do appear quite dated. But on the inside, they have been reasonably updated. There are seven buildings in all, each with 3 stories (and elevators to reach upper floors). Club Rooms are the standard rooms, and most have balconies. Deluxe Rooms are the same size, with slightly different furnishings. You'll also get evening turndown service (with chocolates on the pillows!), a stocked mini-fridge (with water and sodas), robes and slippers for in-room use, and a nicer view. Catering to families, there are plenty of connecting rooms available, as well as Family Deluxe Rooms that have a separate bedroom area for the kids.

Tip: If the cost difference is minimal, definitely choose the Deluxe Room! The kids loved getting the chocolates on their pillow at night, and everyone appreciated the cold bottled water in the evenings, or to bring along to the beach.

If the overall look of the hotel underwhelms you, just remember that the highlight here is not "the look". The rooms are clean, and the food is fresh and tasty... but what's really outstanding here are the programs for kids and families, and especially the Sports Academies. In the next post, I'll highlight what really makes Club Med a great resort for families and people who like to be active.

If you're an adrenaline junkie, don't be fooled by Homestead.  Yes, it's primarily an agricultural community, and it's surrounded by miles of nature.  You might think it's a quiet or boring place...but do not be deceived!  Read on to discover the thrilling adventures that await when you venture south of Miami!

If you're in the Everglades, the first thing that usually comes to mind from a tourist's perspective is an airboat ride.  Technically, airboats are not allowed to run on National Park property, but there are several outfitters along the park's boundary that are able to take you on a high-speed ride through rivers of grass and up close encounters with alligators.  One Homestead outfitter that can give you this excellent experience is Everglades Alligator Farm.  You can also get up close with snakes and alligators in their variety of wildlife shows.

If you want to get up close with nature, but you'd prefer to stay in air-conditioned comfort, why not try a tour from Everglades Hummer Adventures?  These are custom tours are "the only luxury adventure in the Everglades", and can combine with private airboat rides with your own captain!  They'll even pick you up from your luxury hotel in Miami!

On a different note, you can also get a high-speed adventure at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.  The track was actually built in the mid-1990s as a revitalization effort after Hurricane Andrew devastated the area in 1992.  By 2009, it was the first venue to ever host all of North America's premier motorsports championships (IndyCar, Grand-Am, Firestone Indy Lights Series, NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series).  Today, you can buy tickets for a variety of races, or you can take to the track yourself and test your driving skills with the Richard Petty Driving Experience or Mario Andretti Racing Experience.

If that's not enough heart-pounding options for you, then take to the skies!  At Skydive Miami, you can opt for a one-time rush experience, or become a skydiving student!  If you'd like to be up in the air, but with a little less adrenaline, then consider Miami Gliders, with glider and airplane rides that last from 15 to 60 minutes, with views of the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, the Florida Keys, and more!

Which would you try?

A friend of mine has lived in Homestead for years.  When I told him I was highlighting Homestead as my Florida Destination of the Month, he said, "WHY?!"  Well, at first glance, Homestead isn't really a top tourist destination, like South Beach or Orlando. But there are actually plenty of interesting things to do!

Homestead is about 40 minutes south of downtown Miami.  There are only 3 National Parks in the state of Florida, and 2 of them are easily accessed from Homestead: Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. (The 3rd one is Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West.)  Frommer's also lists Everglades and Biscayne National Parks on their list of 100 Places to Take Your Kids!



Everglades National Park is the number one spot for ecotourism in Florida.  The Ernest Coe Visitor Center in Homestead is just one of 4 entrances to the National Park, and it’s open every day of the year.  Several good walking, hiking, and biking trails are nearby, including: 

• Anhinga Trail (from Royal Palm Visitor Center, about 4 miles from Ernest Coe) - .8 miles and wheelchair accessible; see an abundance of wildlife
• Gumbo Limbo Trail (from Royal Palm Visitor Center, about 4 miles from Ernest Coe) - .4 miles and wheelchair accessible; see a variety of trees, including the Gumbo Limbo, often nicknamed the "tourist tree" because of its peeling bark
• Long Pine Key Trails (around Long Pine Key Campground, about 7 miles from Ernest Coe) - over 28 miles of connecting trails for hiking or biking.  Not wheelchair accessible.
• Pineland Trail (7 miles from Ernest Coe) - .5 miles, wheelchair accessible; loop through a forest
• Pahayokee Overlook (13 miles from Ernest Coe) - .25 miles, wheelchair accessible; raised observation platform on a boardwalk
• Mahogany Hammock Trail (20 miles from Ernest Coe) - .5 miles, wheelchair accessible; boardwalk trail through a hardwood hammock and lush vegetation

There are also many options for bird-watching, boating, and ranger-led activities.  Note that most of the Ranger Programs take place between December and March, when the weather is the driest, coolest, and most pleasant (read: mosquito-free).  If you're looking for wildlife, you'll be likely to see alligators, many varieties of snakes and lizards, white-tailed deer, and more.  For a complete listing, see the national park's website here.  

If you're traveling with kids to Everglades National Park, be sure to check out the For Kids section of the park's website, where children can complete tasks to become a Junior Ranger and earn a badge! Note that many of the trails listed above are wheelchair accessible; this also means that if you're traveling with kids, those trails are stroller accessible!  

For another unique experience, head about 20 minutes east from Homestead to the Biscayne National Park.  The Dante Fascell Visitor's Center is a good way to get acquainted with this park with a small museum that displays the four ecosystems found in the park.  For kids, there's a touch table and the option to get started on a Junior Ranger badge.  On the second Sunday of each month from January through May, the park hosts Family Fun Fest with hands-on activities for kids.

But remember that 95% of the park is underwater, so the best way to really explore is by getting out on the water!  Between boating, snorkeling, diving, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, there's no shortage of water-based activities available.  If you don't have your own boat, an outside concessioner runs snorkel trips, boat rides to the Boca Chita Lighthouse, and shuttles to Elliott Key for overnight camping adventures; just be sure to reserve ahead of time to guarantee availability.


And a reminder, no matter which park you choose, don't forget the sunblock and mosquito repellant!